1. Day by day forecastChevron Down
A multi-day flood threat will hit the Midwest and Central Plains this week. Days of rain are expected for cities like Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City and Des Moines.
The rain and storms will likely impact travel and commutes to work this week.
Day by day forecast
On Monday, excessive rainfall is expected from Kansas and Nebraska to a large part of Michigan. The greatest threat of rainfall includes eastern Nebraska, spreading across through Iowa and most of Wisconsin.
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Des Moines is in the threat area for the heaviest rain, as well as Omaha and Milwaukee. The Chicago area could also see heavy rain, albeit in the lower-threat area.
Tuesday is another rinse and repeat, pun partially intended. Heavy rainfall spreads again from Kansas and Nebraska to southwestern Michigan. The greatest rainfall threat again starts in Kansas and Nebraska and spreads to the area southwest of Chicago.
Wednesday brings a ramp-up in heavy rainfall for the Midwest and Central Plains. The highest rainfall totals are expected across the same areas from Kansas and Nebraska through southern Michigan and northern Indiana.
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Residents of Kansas City, Omaha, Des Moines and Chicago should stay tuned, as days of continuous rain could increase the risk of flooding once soils become saturated.
How much rainfall?
Rainfall forecasts vary, but models are calling for anywhere from 1 to 5 inches of rainfall over multiple days. Should the strongest storms train over the same areas for multiple days, localized flooding could occur.
Why the flooding?
The rainfall this week is due to a slow-moving cold front that will at first be trekking across the Midwest and Central Plains. This front will be clashing with the warm and humid air over the South, allowing it to generate some heavy rain and storms.
This front is then expected to stall out as the week progresses, leading to days of flooding over the same areas.
